POPULARITY
5 episodes with church's one foundation
3 episodes with church's one foundation
2 episodes with church's one foundation
4 episodes with church's one foundation
2 episodes with church's one foundation
2 episodes with church's one foundation
2 episodes with church's one foundation
2 episodes with church's one foundation
2 episodes with church's one foundation
1. For Freedom-2. For Life Together-3. For Growth--Psalters 349, 291, 218, 230
A new MP3 sermon from Resurrection Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Church's One Foundation Subtitle: Book of Acts Speaker: Mark Jenkins Broadcaster: Resurrection Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 1/14/2024 Bible: Acts 1:12-26 Length: 32 min.
Order of Service: - Prelude - Responsive Reading from James chapter 1: P: Blessed is the man who endures temptation; C: For when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. P: Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; C: For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. P: Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, C: And comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. P: Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of truth, C: That we might be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures. Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen. - Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation: vv. 1-3 - Acts 15:12-20: The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: ‘After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things'— things known from long ago.' “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.” - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation: vv. 4 & 5 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Andrejs Mudulis (Organist)
Steve Swartz, "The Church's One Foundation" (Selected Scriptures) from the Various 2023 series. More sermons available online at www.steadfastinthefaith.org.
The Church's One Foundation | August 27, 2023 by The Lutheran Church of St. Andrew
August 27, 2023, The Rev. Dr. Brian Lays, Scripture: Isaiah 51:1-6, Matthew 16:13-23
We celebrate a special time to remember those who labored and sacrificed in order to establish the ministry of Memory Chapel.
March 26, 2023 (Pastor Casey Shutt) - Based on John 19:25-27, this sermon considers the Church's one foundation.
This week, a hymn of unity and communion is our topic of conversation. Samuel J. Stone published this hymn in response to some doctrinal controversy as part of a compendium of songs on the Apostles' Creed called Lyra Fidelium (the lyre of the faithful), linked below. The Church's One Foundation is a meditation on the ninth article of the Apostles' Creed: "...[I believe] in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints..." The lyrics describe a Church battered by schisms, heresies, and spiritual warfare, yet held securely by Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus Christ is worshiped abundantly in this song: He is referred to as the Foundation, the Husband, the Creator, the Redeemer, the Defender, the Guide, the Sustainer, and The Lord of the Church. Manley's version (with his permission) is appended to the end of this episode as it is not available online. Stone's original lyrics in Lyra Fidelium (with cross-references): http://lyra-fidelium.faithweb.com/9lyra-thechurch.html Songs sampled in this episode: (1) The Church's One Foundation by Christ Church Bellingham https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKRmncbUMps (2) The Church's One Foundation by Indelible Grace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j44-l71jTFI (3) The Church's One Foundation by Chris Manley and Nathan Partain (4) The Church's One Foundation by Reawaken Hymns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2ScAzkpqbs Lyrics: The Church's one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord, She is His new creation By water and the Word: From heaven He came and sought her To be His holy bride, With His own blood He bought her And for her life He died. She is from every nation Yet one o'er all the earth, Her charter of salvation One Lord, one faith, one birth, One Holy Name she blesses, Partakes one Holy Food, And to one Hope she presses With every grace endued. The Church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend, To guide, sustain, and cherish, Is with her to the end: Though there be those who hate her, And false sons in her pale, Against a foe or traitor She ever shall prevail. Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed, By schisms rent asunder By heresies distressed: Yet saints their watch are keeping, Their cry goes up “How long?” And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song! 'Mid toil and tribulation And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation Of peace forevermore; Till, with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blest, And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest! Yet she on earth hath union With God the Three in One, And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won, With all her sons and daughters Who, by the Master's Hand Led through the deathly waters, Repose in Eden-land. O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we Like them, the meek and lowly, On high may dwell with Thee: There, past the border mountains, Where in sweet vales the Bride With Thee by living fountains For ever shall abide! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/worship-review/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/worship-review/support
The Church's One Foundation (+Quigg Lawrence; 1/29/2023) by Church of the Holy Spirit - Roanoke
A new MP3 sermon from Kabwata Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Jesus Christ—The Church's One Foundation Subtitle: Celebrating the Unsearchable R Speaker: Conrad Mbewe Broadcaster: Kabwata Baptist Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 1/22/2023 Bible: Ephesians 2:20-22 Length: 55 min.
A new MP3 sermon from Kabwata Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Jesus Christ—The Church's One Foundation Subtitle: Celebrating the Unsearchable R Speaker: Conrad Mbewe Broadcaster: Kabwata Baptist Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 1/22/2023 Bible: Ephesians 2:20-22 Length: 55 min.
Included Music: Victory in Jesus, Mighty to Save, The Church's One Foundation, Something Beautiful, In Christ Alone, When Love Was Slain, and Have You Been to Calvary? Message Title: Reconciled Text: 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 Take Home Point: If you are in Christ, you are a new creation.
Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation: vv. 1-3 - Hosea 13:14: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes.” - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation: vv. 4 & 5 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Prof. Tom Rank (Preacher), Peter Estrem (Organist)
This recording is of the full morning service of February 7, 1988. It was the occasion of ordaining new deacons and installing former deacons. The music for the morning was most appropriately "Rise Up O Men of God," along with "The Church's One Foundation" and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. The to be newly ordained deacons were given an opportunity to introduce themselves and relate their salvation experience. Those to be installed again related where and when they were previously ordained. Dr. McIntyre then gave a message on the responsibilities of New Testament Deacons which was followed by the laying on of hands. At the end of the ordination service the new Deacons were presented with a Certificate of Ordination and a Deacon Family Ministry Plan booklet. The service concluded with the singing of "I Surrender All."
Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 9:23-10:22; Matthew 11:20-30I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In our Epistle lesson, Paul talks about the unity of the Christian Church. He says that there is one Body of Christ, one Church. This one Church is animated by one Spirit—the Holy Spirit. Believers of all times and places share a common Father and a common Lord. There is one faith that we confess and there is one Baptism that brings us into the Church. This is the unity that Paul celebrates.He also urges us to live a certain way. He wants us to practice humility, gentleness, and patience. These virtues are the ways love expresses itself when handling sinners. When someone sins against me, love says, “True, he did sin, but you have sinned often yourself.” When someone sins against me, love corrects him gently. When someone sins against me, love doesn't want to condemn him and dismiss him quickly, but wants to give him another chance. Basically, Paul wants us to forgive each other, just as God forgives us for the sake of Christ crucified.And this is an important admonition. If we do not mortify our flesh, which is proud, mean, and impatient, and if we do not practice love, then we risk severing the bond of peace. You see, our good works don't create or maintain our relationship with God. That relationship is created and maintained by the blood of Christ. However, our love does maintain our relationships with each other. Without love, schism occurs. And schism displeases our Father and breaks the heart of our Savior.Did Jesus die merely so that we could have a private relationship with Him? No! He died to bring us into His family. He unites us to Himself, so that we are united to each other. Our Baptisms into Christ create that unity, and His Spirit and Word maintain it. In the Name + of Jesus. AmenThough with a scornful wonder The world sees her oppressed, By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed, Yet saints their watch are keeping; Their cry goes up, “How long?” And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song. ("The Church's One Foundation", LSB 644, st.3)-Pastor Alexander Lange is pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Albany, Oregon.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane BamschStudy Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.
Included Music: This Is Amazing Grace, The Solid Rock, Almighty, The Church's One Foundation, The Heart of Worship, Oh the Wonder (FBC Worship Choir), and Jesus Paid It All Message Title: Love Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Take Home Point: Doing lots of religious things is simply a bunch of noise unless those things are driven by love.
A new MP3 sermon from Faith Baptist Tabernacle is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Church's One Foundation Subtitle: Called Out Speaker: Pastor Joshua Grubbs Broadcaster: Faith Baptist Tabernacle Event: Midweek Service Date: 7/27/2022 Bible: 1 Corinthians 3:10-23 Length: 39 min.
Recently, the Colson Center announced an upcoming Breakpoint course entitled, The Essential Church: Why Christians (and the World) Still Need the Church. The responses we have received just to the title reveal a lot about where people are in regard to the Church. “Dear John, ‘What is the Church for?' It used to be the Body of Christ. And the Bride of Christ. Being conformed into His Image. They were to ‘love one another.' Despise is closer. ‘What is the Church for?' Well . . . I have no clue anymore.” “The nutjobs and con artists have run people away: Get rid of them and maybe people might come back.” “I had to quit hanging out with other Christians so I could hang out with nice people again.” “What is the Church for? To psychologically abuse people, particularly children, with indoctrination into its religion of FEAR.” Some critiques of the Church are nothing more than personal grievances that they've elevated into blanket condemnations. Some critics didn't appreciate learning the truth about their behaviors, beliefs, and lifestyles, which they then chose over Christ. Condemning the Church becomes an act of self-rationalization, not justice. Others, of course, have more legitimate complaints. Christians have not been there for them at crucial points in their lives and families. And far too often, the Church has imitated the world in its worst depravities, and then, rather than expose sin within its ranks, closed them, protecting the institution or its leaders from being held accountable. While there are times (like now) that Church scandals seem to add up, a recent joke turned meme on social media notes that, at least historically speaking, this is not really new. “There are two kinds of Paul's epistles to the early Church,” the meme goes. “One is, ‘I always thank God for you and His unsearchable blessings in Christ.' The other is, ‘Why can't you sick weirdos be normal for just a minute?'” A great hymn of the 19th century tells a similar story. In “The Church's One Foundation,” Samuel John Stone proclaims Christ to be the security and preserver of His Bride, despite its obvious brokenness. This verse in particular speaks volumes. Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed, By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed, Yet saints their watch are keeping; Their cry goes up, “How long?” And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song. These beautiful words describe the tension of life between Pentecost and the Second Coming, and underscore something hotly debated today, even among Christians. Despite the painful reality of sin's enduring power in its members, the Church is essential, not only for Christians but for the entire world. Despite all these critiques—we could add so many more— Christians must see the Church as essential because Christ does. As a former colleague used to say, “the Church is Plan A, and there is no Plan B.” Jesus didn't call us merely to embrace a set of theological proofs and wait for the end of the world. To be Christian is not just to believe in Him for personal forgiveness and meaning and then to live a moral life. When Christ saves us, He saves us into a movement, His Body, His redeemed people. Somehow, joining together with other frail saints is part of His plan to restore our hearts and minds, make all things new, and glorify the Father which is in heaven. We stick with the Church not because it is perfect, but because it is His plan. Because of this and the current confusion about the Church, we invite you to ponder with us what it means that the Church is essential, especially now when it does not always seem as if it is. For a gift of any amount this month, you can join this online course hosted by theologian-in-residence Dr. Timothy Padgett, and it will include thought leaders like Collin Hansen and Dr. Peter Leithart. To give and register for this course, please go to colsoncenter.org/August. After describing the church's obvious faults, Stone then, in the very next verse of “The Church's One Foundation,” proclaims this: The church shall never perish, Her dear Lord to defend To guide, sustain and cherish, Is with her to the end Though there be those that hate her, And false sons in her pale Against a foe or traitor, She ever shall prevail.
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Retired Pastor Randy Martin preaches this week on Isaiah 40:1-11.
A new MP3 sermon from Pinehaven Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Church's One Foundation Subtitle: 1Corinthians Speaker: Allen Stanton Broadcaster: Pinehaven Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 6/19/2022 Bible: 1 Corinthians 3:9-11 Length: 28 min.
Devotion: Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Weekly Update and Reminders: Weekend Bible Class Millennialism through May 22, 2022 7pm Online Midweek Bible Class postponed the next 3 weeks Banquet (last weekend) / Art Fair (this weekend) Bible class will be held in the sanctuary this weekend Read the Bible in 2022 - check out the website! Adopt a Highway - watch for a sign up for this coming weekend at 9am (we need help!) Yard Signs - VBS yard signs have been ordered. There will be a sign transition in a few weeks. Immanuel Vision, Mission, and Values Survey Please remember to take a few minutes and complete the Immanuel Vision, Mission, and Values Survey by Sunday May 15th: last weekend's bulletin/email Your thoughts and inputs will help inform this effort as well as the discussion for the upcoming congregational meeting. Prayer List School year close coming up next week: finish strong, patience, summer plans include Jesus Helen Stelter and Skip Edwards = Hospice care Naomi Pfeiffer - health has improved some Wilton Landon - TB Pneumonia Hilary's sister, Carrie - aggressive lung and brain cancer (18yr old graduated this spring) Addi Naumann - hospitalized due to several respiratory viruses (mom staying with her) Meet the ILHS Graduating class! Pastor Naumann still hopes to interview them - look forward to that! Hymn of the Day: TLH 473:1,2,5 The Church's One Foundation”
While there may be many views on what the church is, the Scripture makes plain what God intends for the Church to be. Today we will talk about that and sing "The Church's One Foundation"Enjoy Your Lunch Break! Buy Us A Coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LnchBrkHymnSingSocialize With Us: https://www.instagram.com/thelunchbreakhymnsing/
The church should not be built on traditions, ethics, or personalities, but on Jesus Christ alone.
In this episode of the podcast, Zachary Groff interviews Dr. Jon D. Payne -Senior Pastor, Christ Church Presbyterian -PCA-- Executive Coordinator, Gospel Reformation Network- about the upcoming 2022 GRN National Conference, -The Church's One Foundation- to be held at Briarwood Presbyterian Church -PCA- in Birmingham, Alabama on May 4-5, 2022. For more information on the Conference and how to register yourself or your congregation, please visit gospelreformation.net-events.
In this episode of the podcast, Zachary Groff interviews Dr. Jon D. Payne -Senior Pastor, Christ Church Presbyterian -PCA-- Executive Coordinator, Gospel Reformation Network- about the upcoming 2022 GRN National Conference, -The Church's One Foundation- to be held at Briarwood Presbyterian Church -PCA- in Birmingham, Alabama on May 4-5, 2022. For more information on the Conference and how to register yourself or your congregation, please visit gospelreformation.net-events.
A new MP3 sermon from Greenville Seminary & Mt. Olive is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: #270 - "The Church's One Foundation" 2022 GRN National Conference w/ Jon D. Payne Subtitle: Confessing Our Hope Speaker: Dr. Jon D. Payne Broadcaster: Greenville Seminary & Mt. Olive Event: Podcast Date: 4/6/2022 Length: 69 min.
Confessing Our Hope: The Podcast of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
In this episode of the podcast, Zachary Groff interviews Dr. Jon D. Payne (Senior Pastor, Christ Church Presbyterian (PCA); Executive Coordinator, Gospel Reformation Network) about the upcoming 2022 GRN National Conference, "The Church's One Foundation" to be held at Briarwood Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Birmingham, Alabama on May 4-5, 2022. For more information on the Conference and how to register yourself or your congregation, please visit gospelreformation.net/events.
Liturgical Date: Fifth Sunday in Lent Calendar Date: April 3, 2022 Order of Service: Divine Service 4 Hymns: #644, "The Church's One Foundation" #430, "My Song Is Love Unknown" #781, "We Give Thee but Thine Own" (vv 1, 2, 6) #575, "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" #427, "In the Cross of Christ I Glory" #431, "Not All the Blood of Beasts" #435, "Go to Dark Gethsemane" #918, "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer" Sermon Theme: I Am Doing a New Thing Sermon Text: Isaiah 43 Other Lectionary Readings: Psalm 126 Philippians 3:8-14 Luke 20:9-20
Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation: vv. 1-3 - Colossians 3: 12-17: Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation: vv. 4 & 5 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Rev. Prof. Brian Klebig (Preacher), Laura Matzke (Organist)
"The Church's One Foundation: Institution Service," Epiphanytide, 1 Cor 3:1-11, Bp. Alan Hawkins.
Today's message was preached from Exodus 19:1-8 at Brainerd Baptist Church by Dr. J. Ralph McIntyre. The service commenced with the singing of "O How Glorious". Upcoming church events presented during announcements included Tuesday WMU mission study and luncheon, an upcoming Deacon retreat, and Mission Week at Brainerd coming in March. Today's service culminated February's Stewardship Challenge. Mr. Clifton Ward, Chairman of the Budget Planning and Promotions Committee introduced this week's tithing testimony. Special music for the day included a Men's Group singing "Lead Me to Calvary", the choir presenting a stirring rendition of the "Church's One Foundation, a Bell Choir selection and solo by Harry Hampsher. Dr. McIntyre gave special recognition to Harry Hampsher and all those involved in the music ministry of Brainerd.
Attacks from without, attacks from within. The Church throughout history has suffered persecution and/or controversial or heretical views. Such was the case in the mid-1800s when liberal views of German theologians severely impacted the Church of England. As a result of the conflict, Samuel Stone, who was on the side of evangelical, historical truth, wrote twelve hymns based on the twelve articles of the Apostles' Creed. One of the hymns was The Church's One Foundation, which was the processional hymn of the first Lambeth Conference. The music was composed by Samuel Wesley, the grandson of Charles Wesley. It became one of the church's best-loved hymns. Article taken from Then Sings My Soul, Volumes 1 & 2 by Robert J. Morgan. Copyright © 2003 by Robert J. Morgan. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com
FUMC Sweetwater's 140th Anniversary Celebration, Sermon by Pastor Ryan Strebeck, November 7, 2021, First Methodist Church - Sweetwater, TX- The Church's One Foundation Text: 2 Timothy 1:3-7FUMC-Sweetwater is grateful for the opportunity to share the message of our Lord with you today. We encourage you to know His unconditional love and unending hope that can be found only in making the decision to have a personal relationship with Him. Please contact us at info@fumcsweetwater.org to learn how you can meet the Savior of the world.You are always invited to join us at Worship Services at 309 Cedar Street in Sweetwater, Texas. Also find us online at:Website - http://fumcsweetwater.org YouTube - http://bit.ly/fumclivestreamFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/fumcsw Twitter - https://twitter.com/fumcsweetwaterHave a blessed day!( Music provided by spinningmerkaba, Sun Says Yes, under Creative Commons license - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/legalcode )
Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation: vv. 1-3 - Matthew 21: 42-44: Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation: vv. 4 & 5 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Rev. Matt Moldstad, Peace Lutheran Church, N. Mankato (Preacher), Nathan Wildauer (Organist)
Galatians 1:1-5
August 15, 2021 The Church's One Foundation (Matthew 16:13-18) Dr. Bill Sherman, Guest Preacher Woodmont Baptist Church
Galatians 6:11-18 "The Church's One Foundation" Blake Johnson August 8, 2021 by Evangelical Fellowship Church
This is the third in a series of Reflections entitled "Created to Care", which is looking at various environmental issues. The theme this week is "One People Together" and we are reflecting on Revelation 7:9 - 12, which has been read by Robert Higgins. The reflection also contains the hymn, "The Church's One Foundation". If you have any comments or queries about this podcast, please email Stephen at ogston@macfish.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/stephen-ogston/message
We're tackling an important topic this week as we dig into the hymn, The Church's One Foundation. We'll be looking into the controversies surrounding the writing of this hymn (and its tune), questioning our attitude towards the church, and reminding ourselves just how much Christ loves his precious bride. All that and more! Follow Hymnpartial on social media: Mailing List: https://www.subscribepage.com/n3z3u8 Website: https://hymnpartial.com/ Podcast: https://hymnpartial.podbean.com/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/Hymnpartial Twitter: https://twitter.com/hymnpartial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hymnpartial/ Music: http://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Send us your questions at hymnpartial@gmail.com
The first message in a nine part series called “THAT Kind of Church ”.
July 18, 2021 Daily Devotion from Lutheran Hour Ministries
Pastor Baker discusses theological distinctions between Law & Gospel. Today's topic of discussion is Sunday's Hymn of the Day for Series B, LSB 644 "The Church's One Foundation" with guest Rev. Mark Smith.
The hymns we sing this morning celebrate both our unity as the people of God and the gifts He has given each of us to build up His church: in the language of 1 Corinthians 12, “one body, many members.” From the psalms, we sing that we are “His people and the chosen flock,” and that even though we are gentiles, we are still “Abram's children” (In All The Land Rejoice—Psalm 100; All Nations Clap Your Hands—Psalm 47). Our unity is built upon “one Lord, one faith, one birth” (The Church's One Foundation). It is sweet to see the brethren singing “with one accord,” in “blest communion,” and “fellowship divine” (O Lord, How Joyful ‘Tis To See; For All The Saints). But within this unity, there is a tremendous variety of gifts and callings with which the Spirit blesses individuals. As Paul says in Romans 12:6, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” Our final prayer in song, Come O Creator Spirit Blest, echoes this sentiment. We ask the Spirit (the “highest gift of God most high”) to fill our hearts, so that we might find unity with our brothers (pursuing “holy peace”) and the gifts of love, patience, and virtue that we need to build up one another. —Henry C. Haffner Key Words: Varieties, Manifestation, Common, Body Keystone Verse: To each is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7) Bulletin 1 Corinthians 12:1-31a Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:41-17:13; Luke 20:1-18 "When then is this that is written, 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." (Luke 20:17-18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It starts to mess with our prideful sinful nature when other people receive praise and honor while we do not. Well, no one gets more praise than Jesus. The Father has given Him the position of all power and authority. People are therefore easily offended by Him. In fact, Jesus is so important that He is described as the "cornerstone." This is a fascinating word and usually refers to a foundation stone. In fact, whenever we sing the hymn, "The Church's One Foundation" we are reminded that Jesus is indeed our foundation and we build upon Him, our Rock (Matthew 7:24-25). However, there is another sense of "cornerstone," and that is a keystone that is not below us on the ground, but above us in the ceiling. It is a stone towards which all other stones are aligned. This stone determines the integrity of the building. So the cornerstone might be below you, by your feet, or above you, over your head. In this light, God warns against pride and rebellion, especially when people reject the Word of Christ. Depending on the extent of our rebellion against Jesus, we might either stumble and fall over our Savior, or even worse, be crushed by Him in judgment. Christ is Savior and He is also Judge. If we reject Him, we reject God's building, God's holy place, God's house. Thank God that He in His great love and mercy, has led you through His Word and Sacrament not to reject His Word, not to be like those in the vineyard who rejected God's prophets and Jesus. Instead you embrace Christ who has made you one of His living stones (1 Peter 2:5), built up with your brothers and sisters into His spiritual house, a royal priesthood. Through faith in Jesus, you do not stumble over Him, but you bow before Him. You are not crushed by Him, but you are raised up by Him. Jesus gives you a firm foundation and a perfectly aligned shelter. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. LORD Jesus, You are the stone that the builders rejected. But on the third day, You became the cornerstone. By Your Word and Spirit, open our hearts to receive You as the beloved Son sent from the Father so that we might always embrace suffering as the means by which we enter into Your glory; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch
Listen in as Bro. Doug Farris begins a new series titled, FOUNDATIONS OF THE CHURCH. This week, we discuss the subject of "The Church's One Foundation"
Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation: vv. 1-3 - Ecclesiastes 1: 1-2, 12: 9-14: The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”… Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by one Shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (NIV) - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation: vv. 4 & 5 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Dr. Gene Pfeifer (Preacher), Adriana Kleinschmidt (Instrumentalist), Prof. Ben Faugstad (Director), BLC Chamber Orchestra (Instrumental Group)
The following message is a re-reading of a sermon manuscript which was originally preached by Pastor Jared on May 19, 2019.
The hymns we sing this morning come in pairs, each responding to a different aspect of Paul's call for unity in the church in 1 Corinthians 1. We begin the service with a vision of the name of Jesus compelling “every heart and tongue” to “join the sacred song” (To Our Redeemer's Glorious Name), and close with a declaration that all our Father's works shall bless Him (Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee). We sing twice from the Psalms that we look to see “all the faithful souls ever dwell in unity” (a paraphrase of Psalm 101:6) and that this unity is “good” and “becoming” (Behold How Good A Thing It Is—Psalm 133). We confess twice from The Church's One Foundation that the cornerstone of this “mystic sweet communion” between the saints is “one Lord, one faith, one birth” (echoing Paul's words in Ephesians 4). As we go to the table, the hymns speak of the particular joy of unity within the church: it is sweet to sing in one accord (O Lord, How Joyful Tis To See), and all who praise together in Zion are blest (O Lord Of Hosts, How Lovely—Psalm 84). While this vision is indeed sweet, it isn't easily attainable due to our fallen natures. As we go out, let's continue to sing and pray the final verse of the closing hymn: “teach us how to love each other…” —Henry C. Haffner Key Words: Appeal, Agree, United, One, Mind, Judgment, Divisions, Gospel Keystone Verse: Be united in the same mind and the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10) 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
This morning we're continuing in our study in the book of Hebrews. We're going to be reading from studying Hebrews 3:1-6, so if you have Bibles with you, I'd invite you to open up with me to that text. Hear now the word of the Lord. 1Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. 3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Hebrews 3:1-6, ESV This is the word of the Lord. With the New Testament there are a few places where we encounter a surprising problem of sorts. It's a problem where godly people, some of whom are godly people, in a moment of awe-struck wonder radically mistake God's messengers and God's servants with the one they serve, with God. Now let me give you a few examples of this. First in Acts chapter 10, we read in account how one day the apostle Peter is sent out by God to a gentile he's never met before named Cornelius. The Lord spoke to Cornelius, a God-fearing man, in a vision and told him to send for Peter and so he does that. When Peter enters the household of Cornelius, a couple days later Cornelius starts to worship Peter. He falls down at his feet and he worships him, which leads to Peter's response, don't do that stand up, I too am a man. Then later in the New Testament in the book of Revelation the apostle John, of all people, makes a similar mistake. He spontaneously falls down and worships an angel, only for the angel to respond similarly, you must not do that I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus, worship God. Now if you're anything like me, when we come across accounts like that in the scriptures, we're probably taken aback by how confused you'd have to be to confuse a servant like Peter or an angel with the one that they serve, namely with the Lord. Now maybe we're somewhat sympathetic because after all Peter was an important guy, he was an apostle and angels look strikingly otherworldly, at least that's how Revelation invites us to imagine angels. To confuse a messenger of God with God himself would seem, at least in my mind, to be a pretty big error to make. Yet I would submit that as foreign as those errors may appear to us, that a related kind of problem often persists in the church today. Now of course when I say that I don't mean to suggest that the church is often prone to worshiping their pastors and their leaders. Fortunately, that's never been my experience and I commend you for that. It is true, I think, that very often we forget or confuse who's really in control of the church and who's really calling the shots. We forget, as our confession puts it, that there is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ. We forget and confuse that it's ultimately Jesus who empowers everything that we do. We forget that Jesus is the one who changes hearts and minds, it's not us. We forget that ultimately the marching orders of Jesus are what we're called to heed in our worship and work, not our personal preferences or our strategies that we make up of our own design. We sometimes forget that in the church all of us are ultimately held accountable to the head of the church, Jesus Christ. Now by God's grace, he raises up leaders and servants to shepherd his church and he uses such leaders and shepherds as instruments for his ministry. But above every leader, above every servant, and above every shepherd stands one head, Jesus Christ. So, our big idea this morning is this, Stay fixed on the Son instead of on servants. As we work through this passage and see this big idea developed, we're going to unpack it in three parts. So, I have three points for us to think through or to work through. 1. The Faithfulness of God's Appointed 2. The Greater Glory of God's Anointed One 3. The Perseverance of God's Adopted Ones As we work through this text, I'll transition us accordingly just so we get our bearings straight as we go along. The Faithfulness of God's First let's look at the faithfulness of God's appointed ones. Now you may notice if you're looking at your Bibles, and I'm using an ESV translation, but I think the NIV has something like this too, that there's an editorial heading that introduces our passage that says Jesus is greater than Moses. Now understand that these headings, they're not part of scripture, they're things that the editors of the various translations put into the scriptures to sort of help us keep our bearings and understand main highlights of this text or that text. In this case I think this is a very good summary that captures the main thrust of our passage. Just like in Hebrews chapters one and two, where our author labored at length to tell us how Jesus was superior to the angels, well now in chapter three he shifts and tells us how Jesus is superior to another servant, in this case how he's superior to Moses. Before we dive into all the specifics and the specific comparisons our author draws between these two servants, these two figures, I think it's worth stepping back a moment and asking ourselves the question why our author does that? After all there'd be a number of servants or shepherds that our author could have selected from the Old Testament against whom to compare and contrast Jesus, so why does he land, above all figures, on Moses? At this point bear in mind something about Hebrews itself, and I've made this point before, bear in mind that Hebrews as a whole is written to people in their historical context who are faced with a very potent persuasion. They were faced with a persuasion to return to the old covenant administration of the temple and bloody sacrifices, all of which Christ had rendered obsolete through his life, death, and resurrection. Nevertheless, they were faced with this theological fork in the road, as it were, either to persevere in Christ, even in the face of some intense persecution they were undergoing or alleviate that persecution and by doing so return to the old covenant way of doing things. Our author makes the point throughout Hebrews, including in this text, that to fail to persevere in Christ and to return instead to the old covenant would be a mistake. It would be to return to things which themselves pointed to Christ. To do so would be tantamount to even rejecting Christ. It would ultimately result, should they do that, in their spiritual death. So given that primary emphasis and background that we encounter throughout the book of Hebrews, including in this passage, our author at this point draws Moses into the conversation. Moses in the Old Testament functioned as the mediator of the old covenant. He, as it were, stood in the gap in the old covenant between the Lord and his people. We see Moses functioning in this way in a variety of texts in the Old Testament. On the one hand, we see that Moses served as a faithful representative of the Lord when he was, for example in the book of Exodus, summoned to climb Mount Sinai and receive the law of God. Then he descends from Mount Sinai with the law of God in his hands and proclaim the law to the people of God. In that way Moses stood in the gap between God and his people, serving as God's ambassador sent out to declare the will of God and ensure that God's word and God's law were adhered to by his people. Then on the other hand Moses was also a faithful representative of God's people to God, by interceding on their behalf when, as a priest of sorts, he pleaded with God to show mercy after God's people sinned in some terrible ways. They grumbled against God, and they deserve the judgment of God. When we read through much of the Old Testament, it's clear that Moses played a big role in all of these ways as the mediator of the old covenant. He represented, on the one hand, God before God's people and, on the other hand, God's people before God. The author of Hebrews, in remarking upon the one God appointed over his people in the old covenant, doesn't intend to slight Moses or downplay play the role that he played in the slightest. In fact, we notice in our text that the first thing he does in mentioning Moses is he commends him in verse 2. We read Moses was faithful in all God's house. Now of course, to call Moses faithful doesn't mean that Moses never sinned. We know that like every other human being, every other man and woman born in Adam, that Moses sinned. We learn from the first five books of the Bible, that Moses' sin was the reason Moses was eventually prohibited from leading God's people across the Jordan into the land of promise. Nevertheless, as a sinner Moses, the author of Hebrews judges, was faithful in God's house. He was faithful in serving among the people of God, which is what God's house in this text refers to, it's a reference to the church, the people that Moses was appointed to serve among. Theologically speaking the church is God's great building project that's born in the wilderness, we'll come back to that point in our next point, and Moses was appointed in the church to shepherd the church in the old covenant. So, Moses was faithful in all of God's house in the church of the Old Testament. That's very good news, but of course Moses, important as he is, isn't the primary focus of our passage. From start to finish we see that the author of Hebrews points us to the one Moses himself pointed to. This is explicit in what our author tells us in verse one, where he urges his church, he urges you and me, to consider not Moses but instead to consider Jesus. Whereas the NIV translation puts it, “Fix your thoughts on Jesus”, who is then described for us as the apostle and high priest of our confession. Now these two titles that are used to describe Jesus here in verse 1, apostle and high priest, also kind of fit Moses to some degree too. Moses was an apostle of sorts; an apostle simply means one who is sent out by God. Moses, as we just talked about was sent by God to represent God before God's people. Although Aaron was the high priest not Moses, Moses also kind of served as a priest of sorts when he interceded on behalf of God's people before God, we talked a little bit about that too. Even though these two titles apostle and high priest can kind of describe Moses to some degree, our author doesn't explicitly attribute them to Moses because only Jesus fills them perfectly. Jesus, we learn from the scriptures, is the faithful apostle, the one sent not from Egypt but from heaven as God's perfect ideal and sinless representative and ambassador among us. Jesus isn't just a high priest in the mold of every other high priest who came along in Israel's history, who represented God's people before God. Instead, he's the faithful high priest who offers, and we will learn this later on in Hebrews, who offers a single and complete sacrifice for sins that abolishes every other bloody sacrifice. Jesus, who unlike Moses, always lives to make intercession for his people. So, Moses was faithful, that's great news and Jesus was faithful and that's good news too. However, Jesus's faithfulness, in view of everything that we've already heard in Hebrews about the one who is Son, and in view of everything else we know of Jesus from the scriptures, takes on a weightier significance. This weightier significance our author is going to unpack for us in the next few verses, in verses 3 through 6. Yet at this point in our passage, at least in the first two verses, our author's emphasis lies not so much in the distance between Moses and Jesus, although to be sure there's significant difference that we can draw between them, as much as it lies in the faithfulness of God who's seen fit throughout human history to appoint faithful shepherds in and over his church. Now Moses and Jesus, again, were unique shepherds, they were mediators who were given unrepeatable tasks to do. Jesus was the mediator par excellence, the mediator above every other mediator, who's categorically distinct from Moses and distinct from you and me in a number of important ways. What both Moses and Jesus demonstrate through their ministries in and over the church, is that we have a God who's absolutely committed to his church. We see his commitment chiefly above everything else. When we do what our author urges us to do and that is consider Jesus, but we also see his commitment when we consider all of the various ministries that maybe we've benefited from in our own lives. Or from all the other servants that we've benefited from who God has raised up in human history and in church history including even today. Friends the Lord is faithful to his people, he's faithful in shepherding his church, and we see his faithfulness in raising up faithful shepherds in the days of Moses and even beyond including today. Yet now that our author has established the faithfulness of those whom he has appointed in history to lead his church, Moses and preeminently Jesus Christ we hear now explicitly that this is where any similarities between Jesus and Moses end. The Greater Glory of God's Anointed One So, second, looking at verses three through six, we're going to look at the greater glory of God's anointed one Jesus Christ. Let me read for us, just to orient us back to the text, verses three through six where we read this, 3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Hebrews 3:3-6, ESV So now in these verses, our author begins to put some pretty significant distance between Jesus and Moses. We hear specifically that while both were faithful, Moses's person and ministry wasn't accompanied by nearly the same degree of glory that accompanied Jesus. This is a point that's drawn out for us explicitly elsewhere in the New Testament too, particularly in 2 Corinthians 3. Now in that text, and if you have Bibles, you're invited to turn with me there, I'm not going to dwell on that text too long, but I think there's an important connection here. In 2 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul reflects quite a bit on Moses and specifically on what happened in the book of Exodus when Moses was called up on Mount Sinai to speak with God. Paul reflects a little bit about this and tells us that what happened when Moses functioned as an apostle of sorts and reminds us of what the book of Exodus narrates. Namely that when Moses, after he had gone up on Mount Sinai, and then he descended from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the law in his hand. His face radiated glory and this was symbolic of the covenant Moses mediated, the Mosaic Covenant. Moses radiated glory and the covenant he mediated was a glorious covenant, but even though glory accompanied Moses and glory accompanied the covenant that Moses mediated at the same time, Paul reminds us of these things reflecting a little bit upon those events from the book of Exodus. Well, he also reminds us that the glory that accompanied Moses and the Mosaic Covenant was ultimately a fading glory, it wasn't a lasting glory, it wasn't a permanent glory. It was like the covenant Moses mediated, it, like Moses himself, destined to come to an end. This Paul tells us stands in sharp contrast to the glory that accompanies Jesus Christ and the new covenant that Jesus Christ mediates, because Jesus's glory isn't a fading glory, it's a permanent glory. Jesus's glory, unlike Moses', isn't a derivative glory, it's an innate glory. What Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3 about this glory contrast between Moses on the one hand and the greater glory of Jesus Christ and the new covenant on the other, is reflected here in Hebrews chapter 3. There we hear again that Jesus has been counted of more glory than Moses. To underscore this important point in Hebrews chapter 3, our author uses then two illustrations to sort of emphasize this point that Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses. Here are the two illustrations. First, we hear that Jesus is counted worthy of more glory than Moses because, notice, he's the builder of the house whereas Moses was only part of the house. Now Moses may have played an important role in the church of the Old Testament, but even still Moses was only part of it. More than that Moses only lived for a relatively short period of time in the history of the church's existence. On the other hand, Jesus is the builder, he's the one who built the church, who himself is the everlasting and eternal God over the house who was building the church even before Moses existed. He is who was ultimately responsible for building the church, even when Moses served as a servant and who then continued building the church long after Moses was gone. I like what the Heidelberg Catechism, another reformed confession we sometimes come back to in our worship services says on some of this stuff. In Heidelberg Catechism question and answer 54 we read this, Q. 54. What believest thou concerning the “holy catholic church” of Christ? A. That the Son of God from the beginning to the end of the world, gathers, defends, and preserves to himself by his Spirit and word, out of the whole human race, a church chosen to everlasting life, agreeing in true faith. and that I am and forever shall remain, a living member thereof. Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer 54 Did you hear that, from the beginning of the world to its end? Even in the days of Moses the Lord Jesus Christ has been building the church. What are the implications of what we read here in Hebrews and what we just read and considered in in Heidelberg Catechism question and answer 54? The implication is that in the history of God's redemptive work, there's only ever been one church, one people of God, one house over which the builder Jesus Christ, the Son of God rules, and reigns. Understand, and I think this is a common mistake we sometimes make in the church, that the church didn't simply come into existence in the New Testament, not at all. Rather the church took shape under the patriarchs in Genesis. The church was born in the wilderness in Exodus. The church is perfected in the new covenant under the glorious reign of Jesus Christ the Son of God. All along the way there was only ever one church, one people of God, one house built and established by the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ. We, brothers and sisters, are part of this house through faith in Jesus Christ. That's not the only illustration that our author uses to reinforce Christ's greater glory. Yes, he's the builder and that's glorious, but as we continue, we also notice that Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses because he's also the owner of the house, whereas Moses is only a servant in the house. As the Son, the church is Jesus's inheritance. Jesus has rights over the house just as an owner has rights over his or her own house. He gets to call the shots over his house over his people. Moses on the other hand serves at the pleasure of the owner, he's responsible to do only what the owner of the house instructs him to do, no more and no less. I remember as a child that there were times in my own home when I would sometimes break the rules of the house. It didn't happen very often, I know that my parents might disagree with that assessment, but when I did break the rules of the house, I was often reminded by my parents that they're the ones who pay the mortgage. They're the ones who own the house and therefore I have a responsibility to submit to their rules as the owners of the house. So, as it went in my home, and I'm sure it goes in your home too, so it goes in the house of God. Understand that every servant Moses or anyone else, including me or you or the elders or the deacons, we do not have rights to dictate what happens or what doesn't happen in the church. All we get to do as elders specifically, is minister and declare the word of God as God's ambassadors. We're not the owners of this house and therefore we don't get to write the rules, all we do is follow as best as we can what God has already authoritatively declared to us in and through his word. One of the implications of this is that we also ought not to look to God's servants to be and do for us what only God's Son can be and do. Instead in all that we do as individual Christians, and as a church we take our marching orders from Jesus Christ the head of the church. We fix our thoughts above every other servant or minister or shepherd in God's house, upon the chief shepherd Jesus Christ. The Perseverance of God's Adopted Ones As the author of Hebrews wraps up our passage, we also learn that this is how we persevere as Christians and as a church. So, the third point is the perseverance of God's adopted ones. In preparation to dive into the end of verse six, we will also look at verse one, which is where we're going to focus in this final point. Let me give a quick structural note about Hebrews. Throughout the book of Hebrews our author, and you may have noticed this already reading through Hebrews as we've preached it or in your own personal Bible reading plan, our author often weaves together these direct appeals that he makes to his audience. He says do this or don't do that, with a robust theological support for those appeals. To put it very simply when our author says, as he often does, you know do this or don't do that, well he also graciously tells us why. This is what we find in our passage. If you're looking at the text our author, you may notice, begins with a direct appeal to the church and to us; consider Jesus. He grounds that appeal in why we should consider Jesus. Because Jesus is superior, he's superior to Moses, he has he's worthy of more glory than Moses. Then he comes back at the very end of the passage with another appeal, in this case an appeal for us to persevere in Christ. So, for this final point, I want to focus specifically on the author's final appeal in verse 6, when he tells us what perseverance as Christians and what perseverance as a church ultimately entails. Before we even do that and we consider some of what this passage calls us the church to do along those lines, well we need to back up for a moment and remind ourselves very briefly who we are. Look with me in verse one and notice how our author addresses the church right as he opens our passage, and by extension how he addresses you and me. We read in verse one, 1Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, Hebrews 3:1, ESV Now sometimes, maybe if you're like me I sometimes do this sometimes, our eyes can tend to glaze over introductory words like this in order to get to what we might consider the meat and potatoes of the passage. Yet it's really important, friends, that we pause on those words because they tell us something vitally important. They tell us that anything that we are called to do in the Christian life or in the church has as its starting point, has as its foundation, what God has already done for us. These words remind us that we've been set apart. That's what holy means, it means that we've been sanctified or set apart as a unique and peculiar people. That work of setting us apart came from heaven as individual Christians and together as the body of Christ. We have been born of God; we were formed from nothing of our own doing into living stones. Then we were placed together by the divine mason to be God's house. Then we became a fitting building for God to make his dwelling among us. None of that was of our own doing from start to finish. Who we are is credited exclusively to the Lord. This unique and special status that we enjoy, which is emphasized for us in verse 1, also carries with it a responsibility. That responsibility is emphasized for us in verse 6 where we are called to persevere. We read in the second half of verse 6, And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Hebrews 3:6b, ESV Now understand, and this is actually a really important note because these exhortations to persevere occur all over the place in Hebrews including in this text, we need to know that when our author exhorts the church to persevere that he's not telling us that our perseverance as Christians is somehow hanging in the balance. Not at all. In fact, the scriptures teach us repeatedly that no true believer can ever finally fall away from Jesus Christ. Moreover, that the certainty of our perseverance is grounded in the certainty of God's unfailing work. Yet as Christians, with that in mind, we do have a responsibility to keep pursuing Christ throughout the entirety of our lives, to continue fixing our every thought upon Jesus Christ. In the words of verse six, we do that by holding fast to Christ with confidence and a boastful kind of hope. So first the perseverance of that God demands of us is fueled by a spirit-empowered confidence in the promises of God. A confident trust that as Jesus Christ rules and defends his church, which he does as our king and our lord, rests in the truth that he has better blueprints for his church and offers better security over the church than anything we could dream up or imagine. It's a confident trust that Christ is absolutely committed to his church. Even if and when the church suffers for their profession, as the church so often does throughout our history, a confident trust that the Lord Jesus Christ knows what he's doing from start to finish. Then second, we learn that the perseverance God demands of his church also holds fast to Christ with a hope that boasts. A hope that in whatever the ebbs and flows we experience in the church or from outside the church, whether it seems to our subjective opinions that the church the worldwide church is growing or shrinking, that Jesus Christ is objectively, unquestionably building his church just as he promises. Also, that we are and will continue to be a spiritual house that will not crumble nor collapse with the passing of time or through the wear and tear of foreign elements beating at our walls and our doors. We're called to hold fast to Christ, then with a hope that whatever we face, our Lord Jesus Christ is preserving us and more than that that he is leading us into glory and perfection. I think this boastful kind of hope that we're called to embrace as we fix our eyes and thoughts on Jesus Christ the head of the church is captured for us very well in the classic hymn that we sing pretty often in church, The Church's One Foundation. So, we prepare to close out this part and then dive into a couple ways of to apply this passage I want to leave you very simply with what verse 4 of that hymn says. Let me read, The church shall never perish, her dear Lord to defend; to guide sustain and cherish, is with her to the end. Though there be those that hate her and false sons in her pale; against her foe and traitor, she ever shall prevail. The Church's One Foundation, verse 4 Brothers and sisters may that be our gospel hope as we seek to persevere by fixing our eyes on Jesus as a church and as individual Christians too. Application With that said let me give us two applications as we prepare to close. 1. The first application is this, it's a great question for all of us to ask ourselves, are you invested in the house of God, the church? Are you invested in the house of God, the church? Unfortunately, it's not all that uncommon today to hear the belief expressed among even professing Christians that the church isn't altogether important or necessary for Christians. Now perhaps you've heard the sentiment before that you can of course love Christ and you can belong to Jesus, but you don't need to belong to the church nor love the church. Yet the New Testament just doesn't support that popular understanding of how things work. To belong to Christ, in other words, the scriptures teach us necessarily implies that we also belong to his body the church. The various metaphors that are used throughout the New Testament to describe the people of God makes this, I think, abundantly clear. For example, the way the apostle Peter puts it in 1 Peter is that the church is a spiritual house made up of living stones, held together by the cornerstone Jesus Christ. Now as living stones it would be unnatural, no it would be unthinkable, for us to be separated from the house. In fact, our very purpose is realized only when we're ordered among all the other living stones. Or consider the metaphor of a body, another metaphor for the house of God, the church, that we encounter so often in scripture. We are as one body made up of knees and arms and legs, and as such it would be unfitting, unthinkable, to be severed from the rest of the body. In fact, our very survival is in jeopardy if we try to exist as a body part apart from the body and apart from the head. Belonging to the church then isn't just an added benefit to the Christian life for us to take advantage when it suits us or when we need a little extra help. In the Christian life, brothers and sisters, it is a necessity when Christ saves us, he saves us into a people. More particularly he saves us into a local people, a local church where the ordinary means of grace where word and sacrament and prayer are regularly dispensed for our spiritual maturity and discipleship. A local church where we come under the instruction and discipline and discipleship of ordained leaders who are looking out for our spiritual good. A local church where we commit ourselves in the good times, and especially in the bad, to one another flesh and blood. Actual real-life people, who in turn commit themselves to you and me too. Brothers and sisters, I recognize that perhaps some of you may not have had healthy experiences in the church or maybe you're just not convinced that God actually calls us in the scriptures to be members of local churches. If that's you I'd love to talk to you about what membership in the scriptures looks like, how the scriptures envision church membership, and even what church membership could look like for you here at Harvest Community Church. If not at Harvest, brothers and sisters, let me exhort you be members of a local church, belong to local churches. Recognize that in Christ, if you come to believe in Christ, that you're part of his body, his house. You can't get away from that and so the exhortation in light of that is live out that distinctive by actually committing yourself to the local church. That's the first application. 2. The second application is this, are you trusting in Jesus Christ to lead and guide his house, his church? So if you are a part of a local church, do you recognize that over everything we do Jesus Christ and Jesus alone gets to call the shots? In everything and in anything we do, Jesus Christ is ultimately the one who shapes hearts and minds for his glory. Listen to what the 19th century Scottish theologian James Barreman says on this, I think what he says is very accurate, very salient, he writes this. “The church has no store of life apart from Christ being in it. The ordinances of the church have no deposit of grace apart from Christ present with them. The office bearers of the church have no gift, or power, or authority, or action apart from Christ ruling and acting by them. It is most important to remember that it is in this high and very peculiar sense that we are to understand the expression that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only head of the church.” Friends, in the local church you should expect things from your leaders. There are qualifications set out for us in the New Testament for both elders and deacons and you should expect your ordained leaders to match up to those qualifications. Not perfectly, mind you, but you should expect a general adherence to them. You should also expect your leaders to care about what God has to say about things in his word and to minister, above everything else, according to the scriptures. Yet I would also submit that many frustrations we experience in church life either arise because, one leaders think that they're more than servants and act like it, or two members expect them to be more than servants, or three all of us together expect certain things of the church that Jesus Christ does not permit nor promise nor call his church to. That being said, know that there is one who is head over the church, and I promise you it's not me and it's not you. The only head of the church, the only one who will not disappoint us in the context of the church, the only one who can feed and nourish us in the heights of our joy and in the depths of our woes is Jesus Christ. The one who is more than faithful over the worldwide universal church, spread throughout all the corners of the earth. The one who is more than faithful over his local church, even our little local church here in Omaha, Nebraska. Harvest Community Church trust in Jesus to lead and guide his church, because after all he's the builder, he's the owner, and he is the faithful head of his church. Pray with me.
The Church's One Foundation by Sovereign Grace Church
Chad Vegas, "The Church's One Foundation" (Hebrews 10:19-25) from the Hebrews series. More sermons available online at www.bakersfieldchurch.org.
Nathaniel Parrish is a worship director at Nazareth Church in Cedar Falls, IA. Enjoy this conversation about worship music and styles, which is also interspersed with 12 organ pieces. Get your hymn book out or give glory and praise to God without words! See the time stamps below for when each song starts Playlist: Fugue by Bach (starts at 8:53) Shall We Gather at the River (starts at 24:40) Stars and Stripes Forever (starts at 42:00) Easter Run: · Jesus Christ Has Risen Today (starts at 55:14) · Crown Him with Many Crowns (starts at 58:24) · Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds - postlude version (starts at 1:01:31) Pastor Homer Larsen Favorites: · When Morning Guilds the Skies (starts at 1:17:28) · The Church's One Foundation (starts at 1:20:11) · We've a Story to Tell to the Nations (starts at 1:23:23) Wedding Postlude Run: · Fanfare by Lemmens (starts at 1:41:59) · Fanfare by Mathias (starts at 1:44:45) · Toccata by Widor (starts at 1:46:26) This is The CC Podcast: Conversations. To listen to our daily devotions, please go to https://christiancrusaders.org/the-cc-podcast (The CC Podcast: Daily Dose Devotions) OR to listen to our weekly radio broadcast, please go to https://christiancrusaders.org/the-cc-broadcast (The CC Broadcast). For more information about the ministry that these podcasts are supported by, Christian Crusaders, which has been broadcasting Biblical Truth since 1936, please visit our website: https://christiancrusaders.org/ (www.ChristianCrusaders.org).
Sunday, May 3, 2020 | Sunday Morning Live from Home | Michelle continues in our new sermon Pandemic Proportion on the book of 1 Peter with a sermon on 1 Peter 2 entitled "Extraordinary Church." Bret and Gina lead us in "Build My Life" and "The Church's One Foundation."
The Church's One Foundation | Dr. Phil Jett, Pastor Emeritus by ebcjackson
Sunday, June 2, 2019 | 7th Sunday of Easter | Defining Our Terms: When Words Have Lost All Meaning, It's Time We Define Our Terms | Michelle continues in the series defining the word "Catholic" in a sermon centered on Galatians 6 and Luke 10, and the band leads us in "Flood the Earth" and favorite hymn "The Church's One Foundation."
Message from Steve Holt on 04/30/2017
This week we have two guests, both actively involved in the work and mission of church life on the ground. The R.J. Heijmen works at St. Martin's Church in Houston, Texas. His responsibilities there include Stewardship and oversight of all Christian Education Ministries of the Parish. He continues to play a supervisory role in Student Ministries and is a regular participant in the Family Table service. However, in this interview he talks more about his work before St. Martin's, when he attempted to plant a church in the heart of New York City. Rick Heltne is partner in the firm SIMA Partners for Churches, whose mission is to serve as partners in the crucial journey of churches in the midst of leadership transitions. After the conversations with our guests some of the usual suspects talk about the contents of Another Week Ends.
Pastor Ray talks about truth and how the church should be solidifying its foundations in the Jesus Christ alone.
The Church's One Foundation
The Pastoral Letters of Paul: God's concerns for our everyday lives. HYMNS & SONGS: "Make a Joyful Noise" "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" "Te Deum" (Antonin Dvorak) "The Church's One Foundation"
The Church According to Starbucks: Biblical Characteristics of Christ's Church Hymns & Songs: `Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing `Antiphonal Praise `The Church's One Foundation? Sermon Notes: Does Starbucks have something you don't? Lessons from the early church Devoted to the Apostles' teaching The church is a fellowship They participate in "the breaking of bread" They pray together Jesus' words in John's prologue He asks, "What are you looking for"? He answers, "Come and see!"
Patterns of Worship: The UPWARD Look, The INWARD Look, The OUTWARD Look. HYMNS & SONGS: `All People of God `O Worship the King `To Thee We Sing `I See the Lord `Search Me `Solid Rock `The Church's One Foundation
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